Houses, apartment buildings, and commercial establishments have immediate access to clean water coming from local water treatment plants. This water flows in one direction, from the treatment facility to the end consumer, because the pressure is regulated to keep it flowing and pushing forward.
What would happen if the pressure suddenly dropped due to a water main break, frozen pipes, or unusually high water usage overtaxing the system with increased demand? The change in pressure can lead to the flow of water changing direction, mixing the clean water with dirty or contaminated water. Possible contaminants include dirt, human waste, toxic chemicals such as pesticides, and more.
Even our modern water treatment systems are not immune to unexpected changes in water pressure in the lines once the water has left the facility. If you want to ensure that your water supply is safe to drink and use, it would be best to invest in a backflow prevention device and maintain it with regular backflow testing by a qualified plumber.
What is a backflow prevention device?
In plumbing, backflow is considered an undesired reverse flow of water that contaminates clean water. A backflow preventer is a safety device that prevents non-potable water from flowing into your primary water supply. These devices should be installed by a professional plumber so that they can work properly and keep your water safe and clean.
Benefits of regular backflow testing
With any system, regular maintenance and backflow testing are important to ensure it continues to function properly. Backflow testing is quick, affordable, and easy to schedule. Other benefits of backflow testing are:
- Safety: A backflow can be a severe health risk, as water contamination can be hazardous. Annual or quarterly backflow testing will keep your water safe for drinking.
- Legally mandatory: Most municipalities require a backflow test to be completed annually by a licensed contractor and may assess fines for failure to comply. It is recommended to check local laws and regulations.
- Easy scheduling: The entire backflow testing process is simple to schedule. You can pre-schedule your annual maintenance, and our team will come and test the backflow at your property. You don’t even have to remember to call us each year.
- No interference: Backflow testing will not interfere with your work or schedule at all. You don’t have to be at home for testing except, of course, if your backflow prevention device is inside your house.
- Cost-effective: Yearly water backflow testing is a relatively inexpensive way of keeping your home, business, and community safe from hazardous water contamination.
- No paperwork: To make the process easier for you, we take care of all the paperwork. We will even tag your device with an updated test report and give you a copy.
About Plumbing Outfitters
If you have a backflow prevention device that needs testing or repair, Plumbing Outfitters should be your one-stop destination. We are a full-service plumbing company near Austin, Texas. Our team can tackle any repair work, including faucets, water heater, hydro-jetting, water filtration, leak detection, drain cleaning, toilet repair, garbage disposal, gas piping, and backflow testing. You can call us at (512) 595-3420 or fill our online contact form, and we’ll get in touch with you.